And so, a couple of weeks later, after a frantic night of last-minute packing, emptying out my last room, saying goodbyes, and topping it all up with a cocktail party, I found myself on the Groningen airport, about to board a plane that was flying in a completely opposite direction of the one I always took.
On one hand, it was kinda scary - flying away to a country where you know no one, without plans, without a ticket back, depending only on a bunch of people you'v met on the internet (I did also mention in the previous post I had decided to couchsurf all the way). On the other, it gave a sense of freedom comparable to a bungee or parachute jump.
Anyways, let's get back to the point here - Palma de Mallorca, my first stop on the island.
Actually, the first thing that I did in Palma was quite ironic: I ate a real banichka with sirene (the most typical Bulgarian food you can find), bought from a Bulgarian kiosk! Which I stumbled upon in the main square, right after getting off the airport bus.
During my trips I've met Bulgarians almost everywhere, some in quite absurd situations, so this did not come as a big surprise, but it was definitely a pleasent one.
So after feasting on the banichka, I met my first host in a little cafe. And everything started off better than I expected, with an evening that consisted of fish tapas, cosy little bars, live music, and some failed attempts at speaking Spanish on my side. Well, most of the people we met were English, anyway, so that didn't matter much.
The next morning my host went off to work, and I went on to exploring Palma and around.
To be honest, I wasn't that impressed with the city of Palma, as with the surrounding villages and beaches. Especially the ones free of large hotels. Truly deserving to be described as "picture-perfect."
I especially enjoyed a playa (beach) called Illetas. Except the fact that it was almost completely tourist free, the great thing about that place was the little island, which was close enough to reach by swimming, or even walking! As I was carrying my purse with all my cards, my ID, my camera, and my phones - to sum it up, my LIFE - I could not swim, but decided to try walking through the water. At one point, it was up to my neck, and I had to hold the aforementioned purse above my head; then it started receding, and I came out safely on the island. There I found an abandoned castle, and hell of a view.
But before I knew it, it was almost 18:00, and it was time to get the bus back to Palma. Back in the appartment of my host, we had a nice little dinner with other Mallorquins. I took another, more succesful shot at speaking only Spanish. Actually I had no other choice, since no one but my host spoke English.
The next day was spent mostly around the city of Palma. It was not long until I met another group of Bulgarians, with whom I had a nice chat. Again, neither of us was surprised to see each other.
All in all, I enjoyed Palma de Mallorca. A bit too touristic for my taste, but still, a beautiful city. Perfect for a chill holiday. Of course there's lots of nightlife, but it was just too fancy for me. There weren't many alternative places to hang out.
And so, somewhere in the late afternoon, after having tapas with my host and her next surfer, I packed everything and got on the train to my next town.
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